Rubber and Stars
by deactivated3333344543
Summary: Rachel hums once more in agreement, and kicks a little dirt in Chloe's direction. "Don't look so glum. I've got other ideas, you know." [ Chloe's tire bursts, and Rachel thinks up another way to pass the time until they can go. Amberpricefield. ]


"This is total bullshit!" Chloe bursts out with irritation, gripping tightly at her beanie with one hand, her boot colliding hard with the already ruined tire of her truck. As expected, that shit hurts, and Chloe reels back and bends down to grab at her foot. "Augh, fuck you too, tire! Fuck you to hell!"

Watching Chloe's meltdown a few feet away stands Rachel Amber, arms crossed over her chest and a bemused smile crossing her glossy lips. Despite their current situation, there's this easy manner to the way she leans against the passenger door, far too relaxed.

Chloe finally stops hopping on one foot and this time she kicks the ground instead, sending a cloud of dust and dirt flying. Her boots are already caked in layers of the light brown powder, so it doesn't do much. Except, you know, vent out her ridiculous rage at the blown tire. "This blows, ugh..."

"Mm, it sure does, Chlo." Rachel agrees plainly, making no such effort to move. She simply digs some dirt out from underneath her clipped nails and flicks it aside.

Chloe stops her grumbling to look at Rachel, and she raises both her hands above her head in exasperation, almost offended. "So, uh, you're just going to stand there instead of helping me out?"

"Maybe. You look very attractive pummeling that rubber."

Rachel hums, and before a scarlet faced Chloe can manage a response, a much softer, smaller voice comes from a few paces away.

"So I walked a little to see if there's like, a town or something, but-" There's a little pause, and Max stares cautiously at a grumbling Chloe and an amused Rachel. "... is everything okay..?"

Rachel smiles, pushing off the car to walk towards Max, who's a little flushed from the heat of the sun just minutes earlier. Luckily for the trio - or, more luckily for a quickly charring Max Caulfield - the sun is setting with a softer red glow, making the heat much more bearable.

"Of course."

"Hell no!"

Chloe and Rachel both reply at the same time, Chloe's voice a little more than a frustrated snap, Rachel's smooth and calm. They both exchange a look while Max furrows her brows and grabs the strap of her camera back, staring between them both.

Chloe can not look anymore vexed at Rachel, and Rachel has this glint in her eyes that they both know is Rachel taking advantage of what she thinks is Chloe's hilarious display of childish irritation.

"Ah, I forgot to mention that Chloe is already torturing our poor, damaged tire."

"Maybe if you would like, help me-!"

"Okay, stop." Max pinches the bridge of her nose, and both Chloe and Rachel give the photographer their attention. Chloe's balled up fists and squared shoulders give in a little, and in contrast, Rachel's easy slouch picks up slightly.

"Seriously, you two?" Max sighs and wipes at the sweat at the back of her neck. _'Ugh, grody...'_ She can't help but think when her hand comes up wet, and she's sure it shows on her face because Rachel smirks.

"I'm _trying_ to get us out of this mess, don't pin this on me!" Chloe goes back to whining in two seconds flat, and she puffs out her cheeks, does that cute thing with her nose where she scrunches it up.

"Chloe, chill out. I wasn't saying that." Max frowns and shifts on her feet. "I think we should all be working together to try and figure this out, okay? I don't want us to fight."

Rachel steps next to the brunette, wrapping an arm securely around her shoulders. "No, Maxie. No one is fighting." She jostles Max's shoulders, and drags her eyes up to look at Chloe, who's a mix of upset and reluctant.

"... I guess." Chloe huffs through her nose, glancing the other way, across the sandy terrain. They're, quite aptly put, in the middle of nowhere. All they can see stretched ahead of them is road for miles, nothing but a few street signs which can hardly be considered help, when her tire is shot.

Max had decided to walk a little further to see if she could find anything nearby, but that had clearly fostered nothing, judging by her empty hands and lack of excitement. Max exhales softly, and then decides to relay this news to them now that everything's cooled down.

"Um, like I was saying. There's nothing out there. So, uh, we might just have to call someone."

Chloe wipes at her neck with her beanie, totally displeased by this. She shoves her hand into her pocket to dig out her phone, but in the time it takes her to do that, Rachel's already pulling out her own phone with slim fingers.

"I can take care of that, don't worry." Rachel leans her head against Max's while she opens up the browser on her phone, holding it up high in the sky to get enough connection to actually search for anything.

Max's feet hurt from walking, and her legs are sore, but she seems to be fine with just letting Rachel lean against her. She loosens her grip on her camera bag and looks up at the darkening sky.

Chloe mutters something about needing a smoke break, and just moments later, she's sitting down in her truck, with the passenger door open, legs stretched out and cigarette between her lips.

There's something gorgeous in the way Chloe blows out smoke rings into the sky, so effortless and easy, framed by her truck and the orange light of the sunset. There's something equally charming about the collected way Rachel speaks on the phone, voice husky and level - "When's the earliest you can send a truck? How far are you from here?" - that makes her heart flutter, warmth spreading through her limbs.

Max Caulfield has some difficulty getting used to the fact that she's in deep with two of the most gorgeous girls in all of... everything.

"Max?" When Max jerks back to attention, Rachel's got one hand in front of her face, gaze soft. "As cute as you zoning out is, we should probably tell Priceless over there the good news."

Max is totally lost for a moment, and Rachel laughs, soft and twinkling. "I knew you were checking Chloe out, but I didn't know you were _that_ into it."

Max's cheeks burn at the comment. "I was _not_..."

Rachel just presses a lingering kiss to Max's cheek, and then migrates her lips to the shell of Max's ear, feeling the girl shiver against her for just a split second. "It's okay. I think she's hot when she's brooding, too."

"Rachel!" Max presses a palm to her burning face, and Rachel laughs again, and that draws Chloe's attention for sure. She flicks the cigarette to the ground and stands up, flattening it with her heel.

"Keeping me out of the fun again, ladies? I've never been so offended in my life." Chloe gestures vaguely to the truck, and Max's face flares up even worse than before.

"Ah, wouldn't you like to know." Rachel makes her way to Chloe and taps the bottom of her chin, smiling coyly up at her. Chloe, now having the benefit of nicotine to sooth away her grumpiness, grins softly.

"Can we get back on the topic of our truck, please?" Max almost pleads, approaching them.

They share a look - a much more amiable one this time - and then Chloe gives a lopsided smile and leans against the truck. "Alright, lay it on me."

"Don't freak, Chlo," Rachel starts, and already Max knows this isn't something Chloe will like.

"Uh, have you no faith in me, Rach?" Chloe crosses her arms, huffing almost playfully, though by the slight twitch of her eyebrow, it was obvious she was attentive.

"Don't you worry, my stoner in shining armor," Rachel rolls her eyes and nudges Chloe in the arm, making her smirk widen. "It's just that we have nowhere to go until the morning."

There's a long pause, and Chloe curses and looks up. "C'mon."

Rachel hums once more in agreement, and kicks a little dirt in Chloe's direction. "Don't look so glum. I've got other ideas, you know."

"Oh, you do?" Max says lightly, and Chloe snorts.

All Rachel does is tuck her hair behind her ears as she makes her way back in the truck, flashing them the quickest wink.

Rachel wasn't kidding when she said she had other ideas. She forgot to mention that they weren't very practical ones, but practical doesn't mean any less amazing.

By the time the sun is down and the moon is small and glowing, the back of Chloe's truck has been vaguely dusted and is fluffed up with two blankets, and some of Max and Chloe and Rachel's clothes.

Chloe carefully gets on her back on the space next to Max, thanking whatever 30 dollar, hole riddled sweater was keeping her back so cushioned. As soon as she does, she scoots close to Max's side and crosses her arms behind her head.

Rachel, on her other side, leans on her elbow, body turned toward them.

"So?"

"This is hella awesome, Rach." Chloe's voice fails to hide the excited hint to it, and Max taps her fingers against her belly, relaxed as she looks up at the pitch black sky.

"Told you." Rachel hums and then looks up with them, and then back down. "And you, Mad Max?"

Max, naturally, says the first thing that comes to mind. "Wowser."

There's a beat of silence, and then Chloe scoffs, smiling wide with amusement at Max. She's about to comment on the sheer dorkiness of her statement, but the quiet awe, the contemplation on her face stops her; lips half parted, gaze completely focused on the blips of white in the sky. She swallows and then looks back up, making a sound in response. "Yeah. Real wowser."

Rachel chuckles, tearing her gaze from them and staring up at the sky. She points up lazily at the stars, seeing the flick of Chloe's lighter from the corner of her eye.

"You see that one up there? That's Libra. Not the _best_ sign, especially for you two, but they're okay with me."

After about 30 minutes of Rachel's explanations on their sign compatibility and another 30 of pointing out stars, Max ends up with her head on Rachel's shoulder, Chloe pressed up close to her back side, arm around her waist. She can feel Chloe's breath against her ear, and smell Rachel's perfume so well it leaves her almost dizzy.

Chloe speaks up first, a soft mumble, a whisper nearly swallowed up by the cicadas. "The Big Dipper is still hella cool, though..."

Rachel chuckles, the vibrations of her voice lulling Max further into sleep. "That's because you're awful at finding the rest, Priceless."

"You're really good at finding them, Rachel." Max compliments softly against her shoulder, voice dripping with content. When she slips her arm around Rachel's stomach, she hears the model give another hum.

"Maybe I should become an astrologist."

Chloe laughs softly, squeezes Max just a bit more, shelving the fact that talking about the future is something that nearly scares her.

"As if you could get through all that science." Chloe teases, and Max scoffs lightly, lips curling up a little.

"No, because I know you'd help me." Rachel replies sweetly, and she reaches over to touch Chloe's hand. They link pinkies, but the punk still can't resist another retort.

"Nah, no way."

"Maybe you should count on Warren instead." Max mutters and the silence is so long that Rachel laughs, twinkling, and Chloe bristles a tad behind her.

"Oh? Why's that?"

"Do you really trust Chloe to _study_ with you?"

"Hey!" Chloe defends, but then she's laughing too, and she buries her face against the back of Max's head.

Rachel grins, and tilts her head to leave a peck on Max's forehead.


End file.
